


Alone Together

by 4everTimeless



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-02-18 10:56:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13098624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4everTimeless/pseuds/4everTimeless
Summary: Immediately after the events in The Last Jedi the Resistance works hard to rebuild while the First Order begins to grow under Kylo Ren's reign. But while their two sides prepare to face off, Rey and Kylo struggle to meet each other face to face.





	1. The Void and The Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this, I always ask that readers give me a couple of chapters before giving up on a long fic, so hopefully you'll stick with it for awhile. I'm not gonna say that this is "reylo" but it's not, not reylo. Anyway, please feel free to leave comments, I love constructive feedback!

Rey stood outside of General Leia’s room contemplating whether or not she should enter and ask the question that had been on her mind since the resistance fled Crait. Her mind wandered back to that moment before she closed the door, that feeling and all the other times she had felt that same connection. It was curious and she needed answers, she needed to understand it before it happened again, though it had been weeks now and she was beginning to wonder if that connection was gone. 

“You can come in,” Leia called from inside the room, Rey had been zoning out so much that she hadn’t even heard the door open. With reluctance she entered the room, taking a seat across from the General who seemed to be finishing up some work.

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting.” Rey spoke softly, feeling out of place, she knew the resistance was where she belonged but somehow she still felt as though she didn’t quite fit. Leia smiled though and shook her head, standing and walking towards the kitchenette, holding her hand out when Rey began to move as a sign that she should stay seated.

“You’re not interrupting anything,” Leia reassured her as she began to pour some glasses of juice and headed back to the sitting area, “but I can tell there’s something on your mind.”

“I-” Rey began, pausing to think of how to best phrase what she wanted so desperately to ask, “I don’t fully understand the force, its power and uses…” She knew it was too vague to really get a good answer but it was too hard to say what she meant and she worried that Leia wouldn’t understand if she was blunt.

“The force is a mysterious thing, I don’t think it can ever be fully understood. My brother spent years studying the force, the ways of the Jedi, and even he was unaware of some things,” the General said, sipping her juice then setting it down when she saw that her answer wasn’t satisfactory, “I know you feel lost, it would’ve been better if Luke was here to guide you and I’m afraid I’m not much help in this department. But I believe that you will find your way, your heart is in the right place and the force is strong in you, just keep studying. Have you read any of the books?”

“I’ve scanned them,” Rey admitted, knowing that it wasn’t quite the same as studying. The second day after leaving Crait Rey had shown the General the Jedi scripts, hoping for some sort of instruction but all Leia gave her was the order to start reading. At the moment though she couldn’t care less about studying: she wanted to know what was going on, why she felt the connection she felt, and more importantly how to end it before it could happen again.

“Read them thoroughly,” Leia insisted with her pleasant, motherly smile, “I know it’s not the same as having a master but it will help. Luke also did a lot of meditating, that could help.”

Rey brought her cup to her mouth before she could object or shake her head. She had tried meditating on Ahch-To and it lead to her vision, the darkness that put off Luke from training her and subsequently her conversation with him. When she tried meditating now she just became anxious, she could feel the force moving in her, stronger by the second, and the dark side growing with it. She always stopped after a minute or two, too afraid of what might happen if she meditated for even a moment longer. Too afraid that he might find her.

She wasn’t afraid of him so much as she was the thought of having to speak to him, to face him. They left each other on bad terms and she made it clear when they last saw each other that she wasn’t interested in seeing him anytime soon but she knew his nature. Kylo Ren, Ben Solo, whatever he called himself now, was persistent. And while it was clear that he understood her message when she closed the door and left that planet, it was also obvious he would reach out to her again, and if she was right it would be soon.

“Maybe I’m just nervous because everything seems too calm.” Rey said after a moment. She hadn’t had a weak this silent since before she met Finn, it felt wrong. Everything was much too calm, the resistance base, the battle with the First Order, and the force, like a sea just before a storm...or right in the center of one. 

“The thing to do during these moments of eery peace is to prepare even more.” Rey looked up then and smiled, a sort of distant but understanding smile.

The General may not have understood all of her problems but she still offered great advice, if Rey was going to beat him the next time they faced off (and there would be a next time), she needed to be prepared. She couldn’t let herself get too distracted by this strange bond she had with the dark side or it’s user, the key was to focus on the light and grow.  
…

Kylo sat in his chambers, looking out the large window at the galaxy before him, it was a beautiful void that stretched beyond the eye could see and he ruled it all, or at least he soon would. He wondered though, as he looked out at it all, where his scavenger had hidden herself away, wherever it was the resistance was there too, ready to be snuffed out once and for all. But that small band of fighters was not his biggest concern at the moment, instead he stared blankly at the constellations pondering his temptation to reach out to her. Before he could even think to try an image flashed in his mind, she looked right at him, saw him clearly and plainly, then left. Without a word or an explanation she said all that she need to in that moment.

“Supreme Leader,” Kylo turned in his chair at the sound of the General’s voice. The man who once made a point of reminding Kylo that he was not in charge now stood by the door meekly, head down as he waited to be acknowledged. 

“General, what is it?”

“Another small group on the planet Gen-Mar has attempted to fight our troops, they pledged their allegiance to the Resistance before we took them out.” Hux informed him, shifting a bit when the Supreme Leader did not react after a solid minute.

“Is that all?” Kylo didn’t wait for a response, knowing the answer already, “If we have taken the small group out then I see know reason why it's important to me. If you hoped to surprise me with this information then you have wasted your time, I know the idea of resistance is spreading. I know there is unrest in my galaxy, stories of ‘the great Luke Skywalker’ are everywhere, but stories don’t win wars, army’s do. If you’ve forgotten, General, we greatly diminished the resistance army, and a few farmers with guns from a tiny planet that we have complete control over will not going to change that!”

“I understand,” Hux said, turning to the door.

“Did I say you were dismissed?” Ren’s voice was calm and he nearly smiled as he watched the red headed man turn on his heels. “The next time you come in here I want real news, preferably something relating to the location of the Resistance leaders.”  
… 

Rey moved the book off to the side and traced a half circle around herself on the floor, being sure that nothing was in her way. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of pebbles, placing about half in her other hand before setting them all down carefully on the floor. She looked back at the book, it’s pages open and facing down, marking the page she was on, next to it was a small clock that she stared at until the hands moved. With a deep breath and a slight shift in how she was sitting she closed her eyes and began to focus on the force. 

Her eyes remained open at first, staring out her window to watch the galaxy, looking deeper to see the force that both surrounded it and embodied it. She breathed as peacefully as possible and felt herself connecting with nature and everything between it, the good and the bad and trying her best to keep the balance inside herself. Rey let her eyelids fall shut and she saw life and death, breathing in and out, love, hatred, in, out, beginnings and endings, in, out, youth and age, in, out, the stars and the void, in, out, the light and the dark. 

Her breathing sped up gradually but soon she felt herself rising unable to control or stop it. Don’t panic! Don’t panic! Rey thought as darkness enveloped her, in, out, in, out, in, out! She desperately tried to remember what she had been reading about meditation but it was all gone now, in, out, in, out, in, out! 

“Slower, breathe slower and stop fighting,” Rey heard the familiar voice say softly and it was almost enough to shake her from her meditation, but not quite enough. 

“Slowly, with me,” The voice repeated and she could hear quiet and steady breaths that didn’t belong to her. After a moment she found herself no longer consumed by blackness, instead she was face to face with him. She thought she would’ve been much more anxious seeing him but considering what had just passed it was almost a relief.

“You’re too tense, too afraid of your own power,” he said calmly.

Rey didn’t bother to dwell on what he said, she simply took in the sight, him, standing there, clear as day, but she was still in the same room as before. Her eyes were open now and she could see her surroundings, she could see the book and the pebbles which fell to the floor the moment she looked at him, and the clock which was ticking now: just over three minutes had passed.

“You need a teacher, whatever you are doing now will just confuse and scare you.” He continued, Rey looked back at him, unsure at first how to respond. He wasn’t wrong but she couldn’t entertain this idea, just as she didn’t when she decided to return to the Resistance.

“I don’t understand this, how does it work?” Rey asked, changing the subject after taking a moment to really look at him, the expression he held. 

“It’s some sort of force bond, but different than anything I’ve ever seen or heard of before. Our connection is stronger than most, I think. We can feel the effects of the other’s surroundings, be hurt by one another, maybe even feel each others pain… I could reach out and touch you as though we’re in the same room.” Rey felt a shiver down her back when he said this and she looked away. Her fingers tingled with the memory of their moment on Ahch-To, she quickly balled her hands into fists.

“Then you don’t know anymore about it than I do.” Her eyes fell to the clock again, five minutes.

“I guess not, it’s new to me too. Meditation isn’t though-”

“You are not my teacher!” Rey cut him off quickly and sternly but there was no anger in her voice, much to both of their surprise. There was a long pause and it seemed for a moment like he was going to say something but then he was gone. Just as he left Rey heard the handle on her door turn and it quickly creaked open.

“Sorry are you busy?” Finn asked when he saw her on the floor, he looked confused by her set up but shrugged it off in a second. Rey quickly gathered her pebbles together and placed them in her pocket, then picked up the book and folded the page she was on before closing it.

“No, just studying. I’m done now.” Meditation, and her conversation would have to wait.

“Are you sure? I thought I might’ve heard you reading to yourself.” Finn said, Rey’s eyes widened but her worry quickly faded it was clear that he hadn’t been able to hear exactly what she was saying, if he had he wouldn’t be so calm. “Well, anyway I just wanted to see if you were hungry, you weren’t at breakfast and you missed lunch, but Rose, Poe and I were just going to head down to the kitchen because we worked through lunch too.”

“I’m starving,” Rey said honestly, with a large smile that was only partly forced. She was glad to spend some time with her friends but she wouldn’t forget about her latest encounter so quickly. She finished putting everything away then followed Finn out of the room, wondering how long it would be until she found herself having another conversation with the enemy.


	2. Haunted

Kylo watched her disappear, looking up at his door, expecting to see General Hux or some other soldier. He thought the movement he had sensed was coming from his side but it must’ve been someone near Rey. It was a curious bond, he could get a sense of her surroundings but not see or hear it entirely, he could feel what she felt. Rey was right, he knew no more about it than she did, well, not exactly, he knew one thing, their bond wasn’t solely made by Snoke, if it had been then it would’ve died with him. No, the force kept them connected for a reason and he needed to understand why.

“Hux, I need a group to do some research for me,” Kylo said into his comlink. There was a pause and Ren was sure that the soldier was annoyed with the request. Hux was one to look out for now more than ever, Kylo could tell that the man's hatred was only growing, it would be a matter of time before he had to decide what to do with him.

“What would you like them to research?” Hux asked curtly, his tone drained and dull.

“Anything relating to the force and force bonds, they should look through every record we have, Jedi and Sith documents. Anything they find, whether they think it’s important or not must be sent to me immediately.” He turned off the comlink and leaned back in his chair. He would have answers the next time he spoke to her. He would make her see that he could help her.  
… 

Rey stood beside Leia during the Resistance meeting, mostly just listening but offering her own opinions when they moment felt right. Truth be told she didn’t feel like much of a leader when it came to the technical side of this war, she understood how to fight, and she could battle with the force but leading an army, a rebellion, that was another matter. People looked to her though, even more now the Luke Skywalker had come and gone, so keeping up the appearances at these things was important.

Poe, with whom she had become quick friends, on the other hand, was quickly molding into his new role as Colonel and the leader of the resistance air forces. Rey watched the man who she had only known for a few weeks relay a detailed plan on how to get new recruits back to the base without being noticed by the First Order. Leia seemed impressed too as she listened to what the fighter pilot had to say.

“I’m surprised, your plan doesn’t include blowing anything up,” Leia commented once he was finished, the general was hard on him but still able to show appreciation for his strengths.

“No, but it does include taking the little Resistance presence we have out of these small planets.” A soldier that Rey had yet to meet interjected, “I’m all for rebuilding our army out here but we need to keep the hope alive elsewhere, and with Skywalker gone that hope is bound to leave too.”

“Skywalkers appearance on Crait has only given the people more hope,” Poe argued.

He continued to speak but Rey stopped paying attention, feeling the bond between herself and the Supreme Leader again. She tried to ignore it but the call was too strong and soon his figure appeared before her in the midst of the meeting. 

“You tried to fight it.” Kylo said, there was somehow both pride and disappointment in his voice. Rey didn’t say anything, she knew she was still in the middle of a meeting, if she started speaking they’d think she was crazy, or worse, know the truth about what was going on. She still hadn’t told anyone about her time on the First Order command ship, she didn’t think they would understand what happened and why she did it, she didn’t fully understand it. 

“Not talking to me?” He asked, he could sense that there was a reason for her silence, she knew he could, but she didn’t know if he could see and hear what was happening around her, if he could he didn’t mention it.

“Alright, then I’ll talk. I’ve been looking into our bond,” Kylo began taking a step closer, Rey instinctively stepped back, “I was right, it’s something different than the usual force bond. It’s more than just a sense of each other, it’s almost… a physical connection.”

Rey gulped, her mind flashing back to the moment in her hut, their hands touching. 

“Can you see where I am?” He asked, the question had been asked before and the answer remained the same, though she didn’t vocalize it. 

“I can’t see where you are, I can get a sense of it, you’re not alone, which is why you won’t speak. There are people around you, my mother…”

Rey worried that he could hear the conversation happening around her but he quickly soothed that thought, “I can’t hear what they are saying.”

In an instant Rey focused the force on shielding her mind, if he wanted to talk that was fine but he wouldn’t be allowed to spy on her thoughts. The act came to her like second nature, just as it did the first time she saw him without the mask, mentally fighting back with all her might. 

“Careful, padawan, you’re losing control” Ren taunted, feeling her energy growing, he did that to get a rise out of her and unfortunately it had worked. Rey reached instinctively for her lightsaber but he was gone before she could draw it. When she came back to reality everyone in the room was staring at her and a few papers fell to the ground, she must’ve lifted them without thinking. Rey turned off her lightsaber which she hadn’t even realized she’d unsheathed and took a few deep breaths, looking to Leia for help.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Leia said to the crowd of resistance member, taking Rey by the arm, “we’ll continue this later.”  
…

Rey did her best not to cry as she sat down in Leia’s chambers, her emotions from the confrontation earlier were still high. Poe and Finn were sitting on a couch nearby, Leia had invited them to be there in hopes that the friends might make the girl more comfortable. The General looked concerned and curious, sitting across from her, waiting for an explanation of what had happened during the meeting. 

“I don’t know how to explain it.” Rey began, looking down at her lap. She took a deep breath, telling herself to start at the beginning or at least with some basic facts, “I can see Ben- Kylo Ren, I mean. We talk.” 

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Finn shift uncomfortably, very supportive, she thought sarcastically then regretting the thought, knowing she was just taking her frustration out on him. Rey was too nervous to look for Leia’s reaction, certain that the General wouldn’t take kindly to this, so instead she elaborated further.

“It started on Ahch-To, Luke didn’t know until he saw us and he never got the chance to explain what it was or what it meant,” Rey paused, wondering if she should go on, she could see in Leia’s eyes that she would have to, “Ben- Kylo, says that it’s just a very strong force bond, Snoke said that he had created it to manipulate him.”

“You saw the supreme leader?” Leia asked, she was clearly shocked at the revelation and Rey didn’t have to look at her friends to know they were too. She still hadn’t told anyone about going there, let alone about what happened there, perhaps that was what all the pent up energy was about, she was keep too big of a secret for too long.

“Yes, I went to the command ship. Snoke wanted Kylo to kill me,” Rey felt a breath of relief escape her lips at not having to correct herself on his name again.

“But he didn’t.” Poe said, sounding somewhat confused though it clearly wasn’t meant as a question.

“Kylo killed Snoke instead and I got away. I thought I had seen the last of him when we left Crait but last week he came to me again… I should’ve told you.” 

Rey waited for some sort of response but all she got was a slight nod from Leia, a blank look from Poe and Finn took a minute before standing up and leaving. Rey watched him go then quickly went after him, leaving the General and the pilot by themselves.

“What does this mean?” Poe asked, once the door shut. Leia shook her head, considering it all.

“It means Rey will either be a great advantage or a weakness to our fight.”


	3. Just Wait

“Finn wait! Finn!” Rey rushed down the hall, catching Finn by the arm and then pulling him aside. Her friend clenched his teeth, looking away from her for a long moment before speaking.

“I just don’t understand why you kept this new friendship of yours a secret, Rey,” He said, going on quickly so that she wouldn’t have a chance to interrupt him, “Are you joining his side? Do you have some plan to make him come to our side? Because if you do you should’ve told us, not that it would ever work.”

“I don’t have a plan and I’m not joining him.” Something about saying it out loud made Rey realize just how problematic it really was but she couldn’t focus on that now, “I- I’m just scared and confused.” 

Rey searched for some sort of understanding in his eyes, hoping he would see that she was desperate and Finn did offer a little sympathy but it didn’t last long.

“Then you should’ve come to us, we can help you.” His voice was softer now, but still somewhat scolding.

“No you can’t.” Rey spoke without thinking and sighed, taking a step closer to him. “None of you use the force, not like I do, not like Ben does. I know he’s not on our side but he understands the force and I can talk to him about these things and… and doesn’t want to hurt me…”

Finn stared at her, almost expressionless, aside from some slight disbelief that she felt inside herself as well. A few people passed by them, not paying too much attention to what they were doing, just taking the chance to gawk at the Resistance heros. As they waited for the people to pass Rey considered how much she truly believed her last statement, it felt right on her lips but left a bad aftertaste.

“Ben is not your friend, Rey,” Finn said once the were alone again, “you’ll realize that.”  
…

Kylo Ren read through the documents on his screen, turning to a new one the moment he realized the one he was staring at was useless. He was growing tired after hours of research and a conversation that hadn’t gone quite to plan. If he was going to win her over he would have to come up with some more intriguing information to offer her, other than what little he relayed while she watched in silence. 

That whole scenario was not ideal, he wanted her alone, so that they could discuss and he could get a real feel for what she thought, not in the midst of a resistance meeting. And he certainly didn’t want to speak to her knowing his mother was anywhere near, the mere thought or the scavenger interacting with that woman made his blood hot. But he knew that they were on the same side, it was inevitable. Perhaps it could be useful to him though, once he figure out how to listen in on her surroundings, he would keep that information hidden until she turned.

He switched the screen from a Jedi proverb to an essay by some ancient Sith Lord and began reading it, hoping there was something of value when he felt her call. For a moment he debated pushing her from his mind, denying her and the force the chance to make that connection but he quickly left that thought. If he was going to do this he would have to take every chance he got.

Rey appeared to him in a moment, she looked as she usually did, slightly tired and determined but this time there was an air of distress about her. Her eyes, if he was seeing them properly, (Kylo still couldn’t know if they looked the same through this as they did in reality), were just a little but red, and her face was pinker than he remembered. He waited for her to speak first but she just stared at him and while he didn’t sense that she was with anyone he still figured it was safest to assume she wasn’t alone.

“You’re upset,” He didn't mean to whisper it, the words just came out that way, “are you hurt?”

“Would you care if I was?” Her voice sounded hoarse even through the bond and for some reason that bothered him. 

“What happened?”

“They know,” she sounded incredibly less upset now, just defeated and exhausted, “your mother and my friends know about whatever the hell this is.”

Kylo felt his stomach flip, unsure whether this news was beneficial or not. His plans would certainly have to change now, luckily he was still working them out. Still he had to think about what to say to this, taking a seat on the edge of his desk to ponder it.

“It wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t trying to spy on me.” Rey said, shocking him with the amount of blame her voice hid.

“I wasn’t trying to spy on you-”

“Then why didn’t you leave me alone when you realized I wasn’t by myself!? Why did you taunt me when you saw I was getting upset!?” 

“The teasing was childish, I’ll admit that, but I already told you I can’t hear or see what happens around you.” This clearly only struk another chord with the new Jedi because he could see her reach for her hand go instinctively to her lightsaber.

“That’s another thing! I told you to stay out of my head!” 

Kylo didn’t respond, his eyes watching her hand which stayed steady on her belt. He wasn’t sure if he could be hurt now, he had felt the blaster but it didn’t damage him, but after their hands touched… He couldn’t risk it, he’d let her calm down before saying anything about it, the last thing they needed was a fight. Rey stood there, angry and waiting for some sort of response that after a minute was clearly not coming. Her hand dropped from her belt and she rubbed her temples.

“I don’t think we should talk anymore, and I don’t want you in my mind.” She was about to go but Kylo reached out, surprised that he actually caught her wrist, or at least it felt as though he did.

“Wait.” Kylo followed her eyes down her arm to where he had touched her and he quickly let go, “you’re upset, I don’t have to probe your mind to know that. Give it a day, two if you need it, but I know you want answers and I have them when you’re ready.”  
…

“Okay, this is the last time, I promise,” Poe said, wiping a bit of sweat off his forehead as he reached for a wrench. Rey quickly pulled it away, holding it out of his reach with a sly smile.

“Swear that you won’t ask again.” She demanded, Poe rolled his eyes then gave a reluctant nod. It had been days since the incident in the meeting and the two of them had been talking quite a bit, seeing as Finn was practically avoiding her and she had not seen the Supreme Leader since their later conversation that same day. Rey had found, in those few days that she rather enjoyed Poe’s company, they both understood machines which made her a good helper as he worked on fixing ships, and he was surprisingly a good listener when he had no opinion to give.

“Alright,” she handed him the wrench and began to relay, in a hushed voice, all she knew about the force bond she shared with Kylo Ren. People around them didn’t seem to be paying any mind to their conversation , they were all busy working and after she pulled her saber in the middle of a meeting people were fairly cautious around her, but it was still good to keep it quiet.

“Screw,” Poe said, interrupting her and holding out his hand. Rey dropped the metal piece into his hand and went on. When she finished talking he took a step back to look at the of his X-wing.

“Sounds very complicated… are you going to talk to him again?” He looked her in the eye’s now and Rey shrugged.

“Part of me wants to, I’m curious and I know it doesn’t sound right but I trust him in a way. But I also know that it could go horribly wrong,” her voice fell as she ended her statement and she looked across the launch room at Finn who was talking with Rose.

“Talk to him.”

“Who?” Rey turned, unsure if Poe was still on the topic of her force bond, but seeing as he was also looking at Finn, Rey didn’t really need him to answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I'll try to post the next one soon, don't forget to comment! Thanks for all the support!


	4. Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter today, but more coming soon (hopefully). Please leave reviews!

“Do we have a location yet!?” Kylo Ren shouted, his dark hair flopping around as he entered the room. No one responded but they all stopped what they were doing to stand at attention for their Supreme Leader. He had become something of a speculation for everyone now, the great Kylo Ren, unmasked and more rugged than ever before. He had begun to let his hair grow even longer now that the mask was no longer an issue, and while they weren’t sure what kept him in his chambers nearly all day, it clearly wasn’t sleep. 

Dark circles were forming under his eyes and though he kept the appearance of being alert Ren was growing weary. He had been waiting over a week for the scavenger to say something and all that time waiting only made him want to research more. The positive side of it was that he was learning a lot about the force, and during his hours of meditation each day he was able to find some rest. But still he was left feeling anxious and rushed, he wanted something to happen, anything.

General Hux watched carefully then waved a hand, letting the crew know that they could continue their work as he made his way towards his higher up. If there was one thing Kylo hated it was the way that people seemed to only respond to Hux now. It wasn’t a lack of respect, on the contrary it seemed they did it out of respect, as though now that he was Supreme Leader they felt they weren’t allowed to address him. They only stood at attention when he spoke and waited for direction.

“No location yet, sir,” Hux said, “We’re still searching for a new base but they could be anywhere. There is, however, considerably less action coming from these planets on the outskirts of the galaxy, it would seem the hope that has fueled this small rebellions is dying down.”

Kylo Ren nodded but the idea that people were just giving up after only a month or so since the battle on Crait seemed too good to be true. Something else was going on, but if Hux wanted to let his guard down Ren wouldn’t say anything, just another reason to dispose of the man later. He really was growing to despise the red headed General more and more with every passing day and he felt sure the feeling was mutual but for now he found some use in keeping him around.

“I want to find their base as soon as possible, how many search ships do we have patrolling the galaxy?” Kylo asked, he was determined and more furious than even he felt necessary. It had been too long since his last conversation with Rey and in that time there had been hardly any progress in his studies. And apparently his troops were not making much progress either.

“We have a set of three partols in every quadrant.” Hux assured him.

“Make it four,” Ren said, sending the man a glare before he could even think to object. “And tell our leaders on the ground to up their patrols and security as well, send them troopers if you must, but I want these scum found and finished.”  
…

“Can I sit here?” Rey looked up to see Finn holding a tray, she felt like smiling from ear to ear at the sight of him but worried he was still a bit upset. They hadn’t talked much, only in passing or at meetings and while it didn’t seem like he was particularly mad anymore the timing just never felt right to really talk. 

“Please do,” She said, scooting over so that there was more room on the bench. 

There weren’t many people in the dining hall, it seemed that a real sit down lunch had become somewhat of a luxury for their base which was entirely too thin spread. They had been getting more recruits every week but there was still always more work to do, it seemed every time something got taken care of something else needed fixing. 

Rey worried she wasn’t doing enough most days, helping out with the ships was good but they had plenty of hands in that department and whenever she felt the need to find a new job Leia told her to train with the force. That was what Rey was trying to do when Finn came upon her in the dining hall, reading a Jedi text that made little sense to her, it felt like the more she read and meditated the worse she got and the more frustrated and put off she was the next time, which was partly why she welcomed the interruption.

“How have you been?” Rey asked, unscrewing the cap on her container of blue milk.

“Exhausted…” Finn said with a small smile, sitting down beside her, “They’ve asked me to help train some of the new recruits for combat. I’m not sure I’m the best choice but I suppose I do know some of the storm trooper tricks… And you’ve been helping Poe?”

“I try to when I can,” Rey flashed back to that conversation with Poe last week, he told her to talk to Finn but she just couldn’t. Even now as that sat here they were avoiding the topic on both of their minds, “I’ve been studying a lot… the force”

Finn had another unreadable look on his face but he chose to take a bit of his food, so Rey did the same, chewing slowly in uncomfortable silence. A few more people entered the dining hall and someone left a table near them, presumably to go back to working.

“I’m not mad at you, Rey,” Finn finally said, and Rey felt as though she was once again able to breathe, “I just wish you would’ve told me, we’re friends, and even if I couldn’t help I wish you would’ve trusted me.”

“I do trust you, I honestly wasn’t even thinking about that, I was just so confused.” She understood why he felt somewhat betrayed, what he knew of Kylo Ren wasn’t a lot but it was all bad. And they were best friends really, Finn and her, or at least each others first friends, they should come to each other with problems.

“So, are you still talking to him?” Finn asked, taking a sip of milk.

“I talked to him after I told you all about it and said that I didn’t think we should keep it up. We haven’t spoken since.” Rey pushed some food around on her plate, In the fast week or so she had definitely thought about reaching out to him, and every time she meditated she almost expected to hear him at least. It was surprising that he would respect the fact that she had chosen not to speak to him, but she wondered how long that would last.


	5. A Pin Dropped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter this time. Also sorry for not posting for awhile, just getting back to school and I've got a lot of work so I don't know how frequent posts will be.

Rey opened her eyes slowly, taking steady breathes as she let the pebbles lower to the ground. With a small smile she looked at her clock, she had meditated for two more minutes than last time, she was getting better at this. Ever since things smoothed over with Finn she had created a schedule for herself, in hopes that she could really feel like she was making a difference. Every morning Rey would do her Jedi training, then after breakfast she helped Poe with fixing ships, she ate lunch with Leia in order to catch up on plans and in the afternoon she helped Finn train the recruits. It was certainly rigorous but that was kind of the point, she needed to keep herself distracted, or as General Leia put it “focussed”.

Next on her list of things to do was studying the Jedi texts, Rey rolled onto her stomach and picked up her book, opening it to the pare she left off on. She glanced again at the clock so that she would know how much time she spent on it. Unfortunately the reading was her least favorite and simultaneously most important part of training, it wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy reading in general, it was just that she would much rather be doing something. Maybe it would’ve been easier if she had someone to help her through it but doing all the work on her own made it both tedious and slightly confusing.

Still Rey pushed past her annoyances and was halfway through her third text. This chapter focused on the dark and light sides of the force, how they both pull and balance each other out. 

As she read Rey thought back on her time on Ach-To. She didn’t feel a pull to the light when she was meditating then, just to that mysterious darkness that pulled her down until finally Luke drew her out of it. What if she fell into the dark side again? Who would pull her from it? She wished he was here to help her make sense of all this. “You didn’t even fight it,” Rey could still hear him saying that, he seemed so disappointed and she couldn’t help but worry that she was going to disappoint him further.

She didn’t want to become what Ben had become. Kylo was a monster, a raging fire, a vessel through which the darkside destroyed good things and sometimes Rey could see that in herself. Not as intensely, obviously, but it was there still, at least the potential was. Similarly, Kylo kept the potential to be Ben again, well, Rey saw the chance of it anyway, even if he denied it and everyone else was oblivious.

And maybe she was too hopeful, maybe she was projecting her worries and dreams onto him but she knew what she felt and she knew what she had gone through. He had been there when she needed someone to talk to and he had fought beside her when her life was in danger. Ben was there, he had to be.

Before Rey realized she had even tapped into her bond with him Rey saw him standing in front of her, looking just slightly shocked. But more than shocked he seemed angry and unhinged, he was breathing heavily and his jaw was clenching and releasing in time with his fist. His dark hair, which continued to get longer, was damp and clumped together in strands that fell in his face, and behind them black eyes burned through her with that same rage she had felt before. He couldn’t have been mad at her, she hadn’t done anything, but it was clear he was upset and in that moment he was so much Kylo and so little Ben that she couldn’t think of anything else to do but leave.  
…

 

Kylo listened to the woman drone on about how much work she was doing to ensure the First Order maintained control over her planet. These meetings were infuriating and a complete waste of his time but the rulers Snoke had put in place were not entirely loyal to their new supreme leader yet and this helped. At least it gave him an idea of which people needed to be cut down and who would support him fully. As soon as she finished Ren turned his attention to another planetary leader who began to give an account of how he was doing with his planet and what they had done for the First Order.

With a sigh Ren checked the clock, he would be able to leave in a few minutes but someone else would have to continue the meeting in his place and he wasn’t about to leave it to Hux even if the soldier was his second in command. He really did have to change that soon, the last thing he needed was a mutiny and Hux was doing a poor job of hiding his dissatisfaction with Ren’s leadership. The general sat beside him in the grand hall but it was clear to just about everyone that there was descent between them. After suffering through for another half hour, if only to prove to Hux that he would and to show that he was fully in control, Kylo stood up to end the conference. 

“This has been very informative, the First Order thanks you for your time and dedication. And as your new supreme leader I look forward to working with you.” Ren said with an excess of confidence in an attempt to hide his relief that it was over. Two guards lead him and Hux out of the hall and Kylo couldn’t help but feel powerful watching every single person bow as he exited, but that feeling quickly left him.

“You should show more interest during meetings,” Hux said dully, as though he had any right to speak to his superior like that.

“I beg your pardon?” Ren stopped and turned to face the man who dared to challenge him.

“There’s a lot more to being supreme leader than just shouting orders Ren, those meetings are important and you could learn a lot from them.”

“Trust me general, I’ve learned all I need to know, for instance, I learned who is loyal to me and who needs to be terminated. And you can be sure that in the next few months you’ll see just how much I care about leading the First Order.” Kylo thought briefly about using some force trick to trip Hux or choke him but in the end he settled for just leaving, the man wasn’t worth the energy and Hux would only see it as him hiding behind the force.

Instead he would take his energy and anger and put it toward his training. Kylo had been cracking down on that lately, studying more and working on his battle skills. He had a lot of time on his hands since Rey refused to see him and he wanted to be ready for when she reached out, besides it gave him a positive outlet for when he got frustrated. He was in the midst of his training, practicing hand-to-hand today as he thought up a plan to remove the red headed pain in his ass, when suddenly he felt the bond connecting him with Rey.

Ren stopped what he was doing and stared at her, struggling to catch his breath enough to say something. He had hoped she would speak first anyway but Rey was silent, looking at him as if she had just seen a ghost and then disappearing again. He didn’t know what to make of it but he knew it would be a mistake to try and get her back immediately, he’d wait until the evening.  
…

Rey walked with Poe to the garage after dinner, he was going to double check the engines on some of the TIE fighters the crew had fixed up this morning and she figured that it would help keep her mind off of what had happened with Kylo. She really needed to work on controlling herself more, whenever her mind wandered during meditation she ended up doing something she regretted, in this case more so than others. But Poe was good company in these situations, he only asked questions when it was clear she wanted to talk and he was good at coming up with topics that could distract her if she didn’t.

“And so I told him that if he wanted to race me he would have to get a new ship because there was no way I was going to race that piece of junk.” Poe said, telling a story Rey could’ve sworn she’d heard five different versions of depending on who he was talking to at any given moment. BB8 beeped about just that and Rey couldn’t help but smile.

“Well this is the true story, BB,” Poe reassured the droid. He stopped in front of the door and took out his key, they kept this area and the arsonal constantly locked. If the First Order attacked they didn’t have much to fight with so it was important that none of what they did have went missing. Once inside Poe tossed Rey a few keys and gave BB8 some others.

“You go check the ones over there, BB and I will take care of this area.” Rey nodded and went off to her section.

She finished checking the first fighter and was jumping out of it when the force connected her to Kylo for the second time that day. She thought about fighting it, trying to force the connection to break, but she was already exhausted and she knew that he would be persistent.

“What do you want?” Rey asked quietly, not wanting Poe to hear, though it seemed safe at the moment as he was on the other side of the large garage and BB8 was revving the engine of a TIE fighter.

“I could ask you the same.” Ren said searching her eyes for some explanation. He was calm now, more like Ben but she could still see that dark anger hiding in his eyes and so she kept her distance, stepping back when he moved towards her.

“I was thinking about you, and I had just finished meditating so my connection to the force was strong. I hadn’t planned it and if you’re going to ask me about whether or not I want to learn from you,” Rey paused, realizing she hadn’t intended to say so much when she started talking, “I don’t have an answer.”

“That’s fine.” For some reason his response bothered Rey, she was expecting him to argue or pry but he was acting as if he couldn’t care less. It wasn’t that she really wanted him to care but she wanted consistency, one day he was insisting that he teach her, the next he was fine not speaking to her, then he was standing there looking like a deranged animal and now he was the picture of serenity. It was confusing and it rubbed her the wrong way.

“I have work to get back to,” the statement was short but it got the point across and Kylo nodded, his dark hair moving just slightly with the shift.

“Are we talking again?” She took a moment to think before answering.

“Yes, but not now.” Rey thought she could see the slightest smile before he left but she was hardly thinking about that when she turned around to see Poe and BB8 staring at her.


	6. Up All Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took awhile but here you go! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, don't forget to leave some comments, I love feedback!

“I know you don’t like talking about it but could you at least tell me if you’re talking to him again?" Poe asked as he sat down at the table. Rey looked around, Finn was on his way over and she definitely didn’t want him to overhear this conversation. She would tell him eventually but only once she had everything sorted out for herself. After all it wouldn’t make sense to worry him about all this, and he would get worried, if she ended up fighting with Ren again, or chose to stop talking to him altogether.

“For now, yes, I’ll be talking to him, can we drop it?”

Poe nodded then smirked, “I gotta say that was so weird to see. It was like you were talking to yourself but somehow I could tell there was someone else, like a ghost.”

Rey rolled her eyes, hoping that indifference might encourage him to stop. As she did she caught another glimpse of Finn, he was with Rose now and they were on their way over.

“Morning, you two,” Rose seemed to chirp with a large grin. Rey felt bad that she hadn’t put in much effort to get to know the girl, it was clear that Rose wanted to be friends but Rey had been so distracted and busy that she hadn’t found time to make new friends. And unfortunately she didn’t feel like she was all that good at it, back on Jakku she didn’t have many friends, and the environment didn’t really make way for finding new ones. Still she smiled at the two of them and made room on the bench for Rose to sit while Finn sat across with Poe.

“So what’s on everyone’s agenda today?” Rose asked as she began to poke around at her breakfast.

“I’ve got a lot of training to do with the new recruits,” Finn offered, his eyes landing on Rey as he said it, “if you want you could help out?”

“Oh, I don’t know if I can, I’ve got a lot to do today,” Rey could feel Poe staring at her and she knew exactly what he was thinking, “I have training to do, and a meeting with General Organa,” her eyes went to the pilot as she said the last part, daring him to question her.

Poe gave a slight shrug before explaining his plans for the day which mostly included working on machines and flying ships, as was the usual for him. Rey must’ve been glaring for too long because Finn caught onto the fact that there had been another, silent, conversation.

“Did you two get into a fight last night?” He asked, half joking but there was still some slear concern in his tone. Rey looked at him, slightly surprised and then sighed.

“Just an argument about whether or not I had scratched one of the ships in the garage,” she lied, shooting another glare at the pilot for show and to make sure he played along, “which I didn’t.”

“All I’m saying is that it wasn’t scratched earlier,” Poe said, catching onto the game quickly.

“Well if it’s that big of a deal I’m sure I could help buff it out when I get done with my shift,” Rose offered in hopes to keep the peace. She really did seem like a sweet girl, Rey thought, they would have to become friends eventually.  
...

Ren took off his cloak and sat down on the edge of the bed, he spent the entire morning in meetings and he had an hour to himself now before getting ready for a rally with the stormtroopers. It would’ve been fine most days but his mind kept on drifting to his very brief conversation with the scavenger. I had actually been easier to focus when he wasn’t expecting any communication with her, and even then he wasn’t doing a very good job not thinking about her.

With a frustrated groan he stood up and walked over to his desk, picking up his lightsaber which had become more of a decorative accessory than a functional one. He ignited the blade and in one smooth motion cut through the air. He wanted to fight someone that was actually skilled, the stormtroopers that he trained with now were fine for keeping him conditioned but none of them challenged him. His only true equal was busy doing force knew what with a bunch o rebel scum on some hidden base.

He really wished she had taken his hand after that battle, he wished he hadn’t let his emotions get the better of him and had stopped her escape. He cut through the air twice, stopping short of his desk, with a little less control he might have cut the thing in half. Rey would need to learn to control herself more in battles, he could see that when he fought beside her. She, much like himself, was the type that went off of pure instinct and while that would work for a while eventually it would fail her. Luckily Kylo had a master who taught him to work through that, Rey on the other hand, was completely alone.

She was better at pushing down her emotions though, which Kylo resented for many reasons. He hated that he was weaker than her in that sense, and even now he could still hear Snoke mocking him for it. He also hated that he never knew exactly what was going on in her head. But Ren had decided that he would talk to her before the day was out, he’d waited long enough and now he wanted answers. Or at least he wanted to know that she was open to conversation.

He hilted his lightsaber at that point and wiped his forehead, brushing aside dap strands of hair that had fallen in his eyes during his imaginary battle. Ren sighed, he’d spend the latter part of his break in the refresher, washing away the sweat he had just worked up.  
…

It was completely dark, nearly pitch black and Rey opened her eyes with a frustrated groan after once again failing to fall asleep. She had managed to busy herself all day so that she could avoid talking to Kylo, Poe and Finn, but she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about this dilemma. She wanted to be sure that she wasn’t making a mistake if she talked to him again. Of course Leia would disapprove, which was why she had pretended to be sick earlier when she was supposed to meet the general for lunch. As much as she respected the woman she couldn’t help but feel like Leia didn’t fully understand. The only one that ever could understand would’ve also disapproved were he alive to say so, but Rey didn’t want to think about that at the moment. No, at present all she wanted was a good night sleep, some peace for once.

Rey rolled over and grabbed the little remote off of her bedside table, pressing a button that pulled back the shades on her window. She stared blankly at the starry sky, it all seemed like too much, there were so many stars and planets that she couldn’t imagine one person overseeing them all. And she certainly couldn’t understand why anyone would want to.

Back on Jakku things were so simple, awful as they were, and life was somehow easier when she didn’t care about what was going on way out here. Now her life was complicated and she had more responsibilities than just watching out for herself. With that in mind she wondered if maybe her attraction towards the supreme leader was selfish, sure he could teach her, but she could teach herself, and it wouldn’t put the resistance at risk.

Rey shook her head and sat up, she couldn’t contemplate it anymore, not at the moment anyhow. After all she had plenty of time to consider it earlier and she knew she’d have more time to think about it the next day.. And the day after that, and the day after that. Until the day that this whole thing was somehow resolved, which could take forever for all she knew.

She pushed her covers off and carefully placed her feet on the cold floor, sending a shiver up her spine that Rey tried to ignore as she made her way to the kitchenette. With a glass of lukewarm water in hand she stalked back to the small bed, grabbing a book off the shelf as she sat down. If she was going to be awake all night she might as well spend the time doing something productive.

That was the plan at least until she felt the force move in her and with little warning she was face to face with Kylo Ren. Or rather she was looking up at Kylo Ren who towered over her even more now that she was sitting on her bed. Rey stared at him just as blankly as she had stared at the stars, she didn’t have the energy to think of something to start the conversation so she just closed her book and waited.

“You were sleeping,” Rey furrowed her brows, unsure if he was asking a question or making a statement. Either way she became more annoyed the more she thought about what he had just said.

“I thought you can’t see where I am.” She said sternly, jutting her chin up to glare at him.

“I can’t, but I can see your nightgown.” Rey followed his eyes down to her simple white dress and quickly grabbed a sheet to wrap around her shoulders. She felt silly for letting something so small bother her but she couldn’t help it. The fact that he was standing and she wasn’t plus the difference in their attire, her nightgown compared to his elaborate uniform, it all made her feel somewhat inferior. And Rey hated feeling inferior.

“Did I wake you?” He was more sincere now but Rey couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Something about his demeanor and the fact that he just happened to choose that exact moment to finally talk to her just got on her nerves.

“No, I hadn’t fallen asleep yet.” She said, her mouth felt dry but she wouldn’t dare reach for her water, he already had the upper hand, she wasn’t going to show anymore weakness.

Ren only nodded as a response, staring at her again for much longer than she was comfortable with. His hair fell in his face as he looked down and she noticed just how long he had let it grow, it fell nearly past the black epaulettes of his new uniform. It was all a bit extravagant, Rey thought, but maybe Kylo felt like he needed to show off now that his status had been raised.

“Well, if you’d like to get some sleep we can talk later.” He finally said pretty abruptly and clearly trying not to sound awkward.

“No,” Rey said all too quickly, pausing to think before she made a mistake then continuing carefully, “I’m probably not going to fall asleep anytime soon… but if we’re going to talk you need to sit because I’m tired of looking up.”

She could’ve sworn she saw a smile and after a second he was sitting too…


	7. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright sorry it took awhile but here's chapter seven, gonna try to get eight out quickly because I feel like this chapter is really leading into other things to come. Hope you all enjoy, please leave comments and let me know what you think!

Rose stood outside the door, silently rehearsing what she was going to say, she knew it was silly but she didn’t want to embarrass herself, especially in front of someone so important. After a deep breath and a little hyping up she knocked on the door then took a step back. She twirled a loose strand of hair as she waited patiently for an answer, then after standing there for awhile she sighed and knocked again. This time she heard some movement from the other side, and she felt herself blushing, worried that she was interrupting something important.

When the door finally opened it became clear that she was in fact interrupting but the importance of what she was interrupting was debatable. Rey stood there, just out of bed, with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, hair a mess and eyes weighed down by dark bags. She looked as if she had one gotten a minute of sleep after staying awake for months and Rose felt a mixture of relief and guilt upon seeing this. She definitely didn’t have to worry that the Jedi was in the midst of meditation or training, but she did feel bad for waking the girl up when she so clearly need the rest.

“Good morning Rose,” Rey said through a yawn, smoothing her hair a little bit and standing up taller. Rose was so distracted by the unexpected turn that this had taken that she almost forgot what she had come to say but she quickly shook herself from it and forced a smile.

“Good afternoon, actually,” she corrected, it wasn’t quite how she planned to start the conversation but it worked. Rey seemed shocked to learn the time but she let Rose continue, “Um, you missed your lunch with the general and she asked me if I could check in on you to see if you were okay.”

“I’m fine,” Rey said unconvincingly as she winced at this new information, how had she let herself sleep for so long? She had missed half the day, and there would certainly be questions about it, “um, does the general want to meet some other time?”

“She just said that you should stop by her quarters sometime today,” Rose said, offering a look of pity for the expression of concern that Rey wore, “I don’t think she’s upset or anything, she was just worried you were sick since no one had seen you since yesterday.”

Rey nodded and tried to smile, “I’ll meet with the general as soon as I get dressed, thank you for letting me know… and waking me.”

“Of course… and you should join me and the guys for dinner later, if you want.” Rose added awkwardly.

“I’ll try to make it.” The jedi promised as she closed the door, rushing to get dressed and looking decent. She couldn’t have the general knowing that there was anything out of the ordinary.  
… 

“Come in,” Leia said when she heard the knock on her door. She didn’t bother turning around she knew who it was.

Rey entered the room quietly and waited for the general to finish the work she was doing on the large screen. It was hard to tell exactly what it all was and meant but it seemed like some sort of military strategy. Rey decided she wouldn’t ask about it, she didn’t want to talk or think about the impending battle that would inevitably happen someday soon.

“You disappeared for awhile.” Leia finally said, closing the holographic screen and turning to the girl who looked inexplicably nervous.

“I slept in, and didn’t get to bed as early as usual…” Rey explained lamely, she walked over to the couch and took a seat. 

Leia could tell something was wrong, she was acting distant and it was clear that she was still very tired. Still, the general just nodded and sat in the seat across from her, pouring two glasses of water from the pitcher on the table.

“I think maybe you’re stretching yourself too thin,” She finally said as she handed Rey the second glass. The girl took it and sipped on it slowly as Leia continued, “let Poe and the other pilots take care of the ships from now on and just try to focus on your training. Perhaps in a week you can start working with Finn to do some combat training.”

Rey moved the glass from her lips and looked up when she heard this, “Combat training?”

“I’m sure you’re great in a fight, you’ve fought Kylo Ren after all, but there’s always room for improvement and it’ll be useful to be prepared.” 

“Do you think we’ll be fighting the first order soon?” Rey asked after considering this for a moment, she didn’t really want to know the answer but she couldn’t help her curiosity.

“I think we should all be prepared, but I don’t want you to worry about it.” Rey nodded and went back to her glass of water, wondering how this would affect her next conversation with the supreme leader.  
…

Kylo stood in the refresher, his hands resting on the side on the sink as he stared down at his boots. He should’ve ended the conversation earlier but something kept him there, sitting with her until it was nearly morning. Weakness. He shook his head and turned on the sink, feeling the icey water flow over his fingertips, then bending down to splash his face. 

When he looked in the mirror he saw himself, a man that had become somewhat unrecognizable over the past few years. A few damp strands of black hair framed his long face, his dark eyes were encircled by dull bags, and his cheeks and chin were shadowed with hairs he had yet to trim. It all matched his somber uniform, with its powerful shoulders and his imposing height he looked like a force to be reckoned with. But there was also something bright there, somewhere in those black eyes there was something bright. He didn’t mind it.  
…

Rey entered the dining hall late, she had been busy catching up with her training and lost track of time. It didn’t take long for her to find her friends though, they sat at the usual table and she rushed over to meet them, not bothering to grab any food first, she’d make a quick appearance then grab something on her way out.

“I told you she’d come.” Rose said to one of the men as Rey neared the table, she stood up to give her a hug and moved over so that there was more room to sit. 

“No food?” Finn asked as Rey took a seat.

“I’ll get something on my way out, I’m afraid I can’t stay too long, I’ve got to do some more training, Leia’s orders.” She glanced at Poe who was giving her a look she didn’t quite like. She’d ignore it for now though, “How was everyone’s day?”

“So far so good,” Rose said, “did Poe tell you he’s going to teach me how to fly?”

“He didn’t, but that’s exciting,” Rey said with a smile, knowing that Rose wanted to be a pilot thanks to a conversation she and Finn had a while ago.

“I was thinking once we finish fixing the last few ships I could get her in the air.” Poe finally said, looking right at Rey and it became clear that he knew.

“I can’t, Leia wants me to focus more on my training and I think it’s probably for the best.” She tried to sound casual while still making it clear to him that his meddling wasn’t necessary. It seemed that Poe was able to take the hint because he simply shrugged and let the conversation move on, hardly speaking to her except to say goodbye when she left.  
…

Rey stood up and threw away the remains of her dinner, walking into her room to get ready for bed. She paused as her hand touched the door and turned around.

“Good evening,” she said as her eyes met Kylo’s. His dark figure was lit by a cool light from his side of the connection. There was a somewhat blue reflection in his eyes too, a sparkle that seemed to compliment his almost smile.

“Better timing tonight?” He said, noting her outfit, she hadn’t yet gone to bed. He’d make a note that this was a good time for their conversations. It was important to him that they were on good terms from now on, he had gotten so close before and then he messed it up, he couldn’t let that happen again.

“Much better, but I can’t talk as long as we did yesterday.” Rey said, her small smile fading a bit.

Ren could see the weary look on her face, she must’ve had a long day. If he were more comfortable he might have searched her mind for something more specific but he knew that would only upset her. Conversation was the way to go this evening and honestly he didn’t really mind that. It seemed that she didn’t mind either, in fact when he really thought about her last statement it was almost as though she was disappointed that they wouldn’t have so much time. 

“Neither can I, I hardly got any work done today.” Ren wished he hadn’t said that, it was best to keep his work out of her mind. And he certainly didn’t need her pondering his reason for being so unproductive. Luckily for him Rey was too exhausted to bother with analyzing his every sentence. For now she was just taking him at face value, which would work in his favor more ways than one.

“I’ve been ordered to stop working so hard,” Rey said, turning back around to open her door, “your mother is concerned about me.”

“Should she be?”

“You tell me.” It was a curious statement and at first he didn’t know how to respond. Her tone was rather plain but that could’ve just been from her sleepiness, if she was more awake and cheerful he might have interpreted that as flirting. But Kylo was a cynical man and he wasn’t going to let his hopes interfere with reality. Besides, there was also the possibility that it was meant as a more hostile comment and he couldn’t respond poorly to that.

“I think you should take care of yourself.” He offered frankly with a shrug. This seemed like a good response as Rey smiled slightly then went into her room. Kylo took note of how the force allowed him to follow her through their bond. He was still trying to fully understand it, but most of his researching had come to dead ends.

“I’ll have to get ready for bed soon,” she said quietly, “I need to train tomorrow morning.”

Her back was turned to him now as she presumably got her things together for bed and Kylo couldn’t help but admire how far they had come. There had been times were she absolutely despised him but now she was pleasant and trusting. Even if he couldn’t kill her through the bond, which he wasn’t sure he couldn’t, they both knew that he could hurt her. But Kylo had no such plans and obviously Rey knew that.

He decided to take this opportunity, while they were being friendly and she was calm, to once more offer up his proposal. “If you ever need any help…” he let himself trail off as she turned around, glad to see that her face had not contorted into a frown just yet.

“If something comes up I’ll ask you.” She said, possibly to just end the conversation but she seemed genuine. Usually he would try to have this reaffirmed by asking her again. Cynical Kylo knew that you could never really trust someone, even if you had their word. But looking at her now he didn’t feel so skeptical.


End file.
